I was talking with one of my Project Managers the other day who pointed out that updating a series of task/subtask due dates can be a real bother.
From the timeline view we have Maintain Buffer and Weekend Awareness checked and in theory this should do what we want. However it’s been noted that:
When shifting a task/subtask in the middle of the timeline, it shifts the ENTIRE timeline instead of just the tasks after the one being adjusted.
While the tasks/subtasks will avoid the weekends, often times it will shortchange the defined date range (i.e. a task we’ve called out should take three days is suddenly given just a single day)
The PMs greatly dislike this view as it feels clunky and finicky. Especially when trying to create dependency links.
Because of the last bullet, the feature our Project Management team would love to see is ASANA being able to waterfall a date change from the list view. Change a date from the 20th to the 22nd? Great, now all the dates following that change push out two days (while properly adjusting for the weekends and while still maintaining the proper number of days in the date range).
@Jonathan_Grabon - this is actually available now in list view, but it is challenging to find. Before changing a date, you have to open the due date by clicking it, click the blue “Update” button that appears above the calendar, and then manipulate your date in the window. It will show you all the changes that will take effect in other tasks.
That said, it follows the same logic as date-shifting in gantt/timeline, so if you are having issues in those views, it will not solve them. For your first point, if you have your dependency management setting on “Maintain buffer” it will shift all dates in the chain unless they’ve been completed. I agree that this is frustrating, but two temporary solutions are: 1) completed the predecessor to “break” the chain temporarily, 2) unlink the chain, then re-link.
Thanks Stephen, those are two great things I wasn’t aware of before.
But born from that solution I need to ask if there’s a way to do the “Update” trick with dependent-linked Subtasks? Because I’m not currently seeing it as an option at that level.
@Jonathan_Grabon - could you screenshot what you’re encountering? I just tested in my environment with this setup:
Parent task A blocks subtask 1
Subtask 1 blocks Subtask 2
I see the “Update” button available on all of task A, subtask 1, and subtask 2. When I click “Update” in any of those 3 and move a date, I see the expected changes in the other 2 of the chain.
Please let me add a few things.
Please understand that the following points are out of line with your requests regarding the current functional issues of Asana.
It is not possible to set a period required for a task. (You may be able to specify a period required with other companies’ PMS)
It is not possible to set a fixed date for tasks (especially for milestones).
Since this overall feature does exist, I think it makes sense to move this thread to Tips and Tricks.
@Jonathan_Grabon, for another alternative solution, you might want to take a look at the Auto-Adjust and Dynamic Duration workflows in our Flowsana integration.
@Stephen_Li Thanks for explaining this in a step by step way. I always struggled to manifulate the dates and see their impact in a list view. I did not understand why the dependnant tasks in the pop up window always appeared empty, until I tried it now and realised it will always be empty, until dependant tasks are impacted, thats when they appear.
I do not think the system interface is user friendly in this manner.